Slider for hookless fasteners



1957 J. R. OETTL- 2,817,390

SLIDER FOR HOOKLESS FASTENERS Filed July 7, 1954 Fig. ,4

Fig.3

1N VENTOR 42 John R. 0eH/ 4 BY I SLIDER FOR HOOKLESS FASTENERS John R. Oettl, Hollis, N. Y.

Application July 7, 1954, Serial No. 441,723

6 Claims. (Cl. 24205.14)

This invention relates to improvements in sliders for hookless or slide fasteners of the type known as zippers and has for its primary object to provide an improved and novel slider which will automatically slide on the running strips of fasteners irrespective of any disentanglement of cloth, irregularities in the teeth, splits therein or the like common irregularities which occur in conventional fasteners and cause conventional sliders to become entangled with the teeth or cloth in a manner as to render the fastener useless and in need of repair.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a sectional body forming the slider, the sections of the body being normally held under tension by a resilient means in parallel running positions with the teeth of the strips of the fastener passing between the sections and being interengaged thereby and the sections being pivoted together so as to be able to move or spread apart to positions at an angle to each other and out of such parallel relation, the movement to such positions being caused by the manipulation of the pulling tab to a position wherein it acts to overcome the force of the resilient means and to move the sections apart to their angular relationship.

Thus, an important object of this invention is to provide means for pivotally connecting the sections so that they can bodily move relative to each other about a common transverse axis from parallel closed positions to angular open positions.

Another important object of this invention is to provide resilient means for holding the sections in their closed parallel positions under normal operating conditions and to form and mount the resilient means in a manner to be most elfective, but yet not encumber the slider or give it a bulky, unattractive appearance.

A further important object of this invention is to provide means carried by one of the sections which receives the pull tab that acts on such means to spread the sections apart under mal-operating conditions of the fastener and to provide means carried by the other section and associated with the tab to limit the extent of spreading or opening movement of the sections.

A further object of this invention is to provide a slider which is compact and attractive and conventional in size and appearance, but yet which has the novel features referred to in the above objects.

These and ancillary objects are attained by this invention, the preferred embodiment of which is set forth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein;

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of the slider with the tab shown in its normal pulling position to slide the slider up and interengage the teeth of the strips of a fastener.

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view thereof, showing all of the elements thereof in disattachment;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the slider in use, and,

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3-

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the slider 10 includes a lower section 12 and an upper companion section 14, the sections being normal in spaced apart, confronting parallel positions for the passage therebetween of the teeth of the strips of a fastener whereby the teeth are interlocked.

The lower or bottom section 12 includes a flat rear portion 16, having upstanding, marginal side flanges 18, and a divergent front portion 20, which has upstanding marginal side flanges 22 angularly related to the straight flanges 18. The tront portion 20 is provided at its forward end with an upstanding rectangular block 24, which has a triangular rear end 26. The block 24 is located on the longitudinal center line of the bottom section and projects forwardly of the front portion 20. The convergent sides of the rear end 26 parallel the flanges 22 and define throat passages 28 therewith. The block 24 is provided with a fiat top wall and an angular arm 30 is carried thereby.

The arm 30 has a short vertical section 32, which upstands from the center of the block and a horizontal section 34 which is considerably narrower than the section 32 and which coincides with the longitudinal center line of the bottom section and projects rearwardly of the rear end 26 of the rib. The vertical section 32 is formed with a transverse opening 36 for a purpose to be described, the opening being adjacent the top of the block. Also, the front wall 38 of the block has an axial channel 4! formed therein and defined by the spaced apart, side ribs 42 for a purpose to be described.

The top or upper section 14 includes a flat wall having a rectangular rear portion 44 provided with depending side flanges 46, the rear portion 44 being complemental in axial and transverse extension to the rear portion 16 of the bottom section. The top section 14 also includes a divergent front portion 48 which has side flanges 50, the portion 48 also being identical in length and width to the front portion 20 of the bottom section. Such front portion of the bottom section and top section form throat passages by being spaced apart in confronting relation and the passages converge into the straight passage defined by the rear portions of the sections.

The top section has an upstanding channel 52 which is defined by the parallel, vertically disposed and transversely spaced longitudinal walls 54 and 56 which extend on the top thereof from a point spaced forwardly of the rear end to a point ahead of the front end. The walls 54 and 56 are spaced apart a distance suflicient to receive the section 34 of the arm with the outer or forward ends of the walls being disposed alongside the section 32 of the arm 332 The forward ends of the walls are provided with openings 58 which register with the opening 36 to receive a pivot pin 64) whereby the sections are pivoted together.

The Walls are provided intermediate their ends with vertical cut-outs 62 opening through their upper edges. The cut-outs 62 communicate with the forward, uppermost ends 64 of diagonal cam slots 66 which are formed in the walls 54 and 56 and disposed in transverse alignment. The slots 66 incline upwardly in the walls from the rear portion 44 to a point above the front of the front portion for a purpose to be described.

A pull tab 68 is provided and has a rectangular aperture 70 formed in its lower end, which passes through the cut-outs 62 into the slots 66, the aperture receiving the arm section 34 and the portions of the walls above the slots.

A resilient means is provided to maintain the sections in closed, parallel relation and includes a one-piece cover like member 72 formed of inherently resilient material. The member 72 includes a flat top wall 74, which over- Patented Dec. 31, 1957 4 66. Forward ofthe slots, the edges 78 have dependinglegs 80 which pass down through slits 82 in the rear portion 44. Rearward ofthe slots the edges 78 have apertured ears, 84' which receive the pivot pin 60. The top wall 74'also hasa depending rear wall 86 whichv fits, over the free end of the arm section 34 and the rear ends of the walls 54 and 56. A free biasing tongue 88 depends from the front of the wall 74 and has a transversely enlarged lower section that fits in the channel 40. The tongue 88 biases the wall'74 onto the upper edges of the walls 54 and 56 and normally retains such edges below the upper surface of the arm. The pull tab also acts to keep the sections in their normal parallel confronting closed position by its-normal position at the forward, upper ends of the slots 64, in which position it engages the underside of the arm 34.

Thus, the sections are normally in a closed, parallel position with their inner faces confronting and slightly spaced to create the passages which receive the teeth on opposing strips of a hookless fastener.

When the tab is moved rearwardly in the slots, the lower end thereof acts on the sloping edges 78 of the spring and pivots the spring, that is, the wall 74 and side walls 76, upwardly. When the lower end of the tab reaches the rearward ends of the slots, which lie below the arm, it is obvious that a pull on the tab laterally of the sections will pull the upper section about the pivot until the lower end of the tab abuts the underside of the arm. The sections will thus be spread slightly apart and into angular relationship. It is the relationship of the slots to the arm which causes the spreading movement under the action of the pull tab. Obviously, when the tab is released and carried forwardly in the slots, the spring will immediately bias the sections back to their normal positions.

The spring member also acts as a cover element and completely encloses and protects the channel and arm, while it also with the arm holds the tab in place.

While the best known form of this invention has been shown and described, other forms may be realized as come within the scope of the invention, defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed:

1. A slider for a hookless fastener comprising a sectional body member including a first and a second section disposed in spaced confronting relation, each of said longitudinally on its inner face and on which the second section is seated to hold the inner faces of the sections apart, said spacer member defining with the flanges on the front end portions a pair of convergent throat passages and the flanges on the rear end portions defining a trailing passage at the rear ends of the throat passages, said passages receiving the teeth of opposing strips of a hookless fastener for interlocking them, said second section having an outer face formed with a longitudinal channel, an arm carried by the spacer member and extending above and paralleling the inner face of the first section, said arm being disposed in the channel, a pull tab mounted in the channel, a pivot element transversely connecting the sections at their front end portion, a spring acting on the arm and channel to retain the inner faces of the sections in parallel confronting relation and means acted on by the pull tab to spread the sections apart with the inner faces in angular relationship.

2. A slider as claimed in claim 1, wherein said channel is defined by a pair of parallel longitudinally extending Walls which are, spaced transversely apart to receive the arm, said walls having diagonal transversely aligned slots, said slots having front ends terminating at the arm and rear ends lying below the, arm and said tab having a cutout portion to receive the portions of the walls above the slots and the arms and having a lower end acting on the upper bounding walls of the slots to move the sections apart.

3. A slider as claimed in claim 2, wherein said walls have cut-outs communicating with the slots and extending through the outer edges of the walls for the reception of the tab.

4. A slider as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spring means includes a spring member overlying the arm and channel and having a biasing end anchored against the front of the spacer member.

5. A slider as claimed in claim 1, wherein said last means includes camways provided in the walls of the channel and disposed at an angle to the arm, said tab having a lower end slidable in the camways to move the sections apart.

6. A slider as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spring means is attached to the sections by the pivot element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,181,625 Mucci Nov. 28, 1939 2,450,550 Grifiin Oct. 5, 1948,

2,526,653 Gerstman Oct. 24, 1950 2,675,606 Lawson Apr. 20, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 885,456 France Sept. 16, 1943 919,541 France Mar. 11, 1947 

